How did you set up your monorail? "Photo's please"

Not home today, but will try and post some pics Sunday.

 

Bob

I do not have one yet but I will. I have seen them set up as a simple circle. Over and under figure 8. Half circle out and back. Straight line point to point.

I'm thinking about where the big base for the hangers "16 of them I think" are going to go on my layout?

Those bases are just over 7 inches long and it did take some manuvering to make it fit.

 

Bob

This may have been posted her before, but I really like this layout and the way he did the monorail...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UKs-JbeqKc

 

Jeff Davis

I love that layou. That video never gets old. Thanks for posting Jeff.

 

Bob

This would be an option but my drop ceiling couldn't handle the weight.

 

 

That is an awesome idea!  I love it.

 

 

John.

This isn't a great photo but it shows how we have ours set up at the Gadsden Pacific Toy Train Museum. The track is in the background at center. It surrounds an old "Spirit of St. Louis" pylon airplane and a late-20's airplane hangar and matching planes. You can see a dirigible hanging overhead and our overhead G gauge along the wall. At the moment the monorail is out of service due to problems with the MTH traditional motor. I'll try to take a better picture this weekend as I'll be at the museum for open house. Click on the picture for a larger view.

 

 

 

 

Is that the set as it came? No extra track or hangers? How long and wide would you say it is? BTW I love that "Spirit of St.Louis" Wish someone made a repro of it.

 

That is the track that came with the MTH set. It's an oval, I forget how many straight tracks came with it, maybe four. Curve diameter is 42", the same as ordinary Standard Gauge track. So, the whole oval is about six feet long by four wide, more or less. It only came with one power feed; one of the guys moused up an extra.

OK, as promised here are some more photos and information. The straight sections are 14" long and there are six of them. That makes this oval about 84x42, plus the bases. Or by putting one straight section the short way, you would have 70 x 56.

 

Here are three more photos showing the monorail from various angles. Note that the Spirit of St. Louis is in flight. It is powered by a 120v table fan motor turning the propellor on one of the planes. 

 

 

 

 

Very nice!  Thanks for the pics.

The pictures are of my MTH Monorail on my standard gauge layout. Due to space limitations, I only used two straight sections on each side of the oval. The monorail has been a hit with most visitors being more excited by that than the original standard gauge I'm running! After suffering continual bulb failure in the monorail, probably due to the vibration affecting the bulb elements, I have replaced the bulbs with led lighting strips.

 

Eric Hofberg

TCA, LCCA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eric, aka chug, I really like the look of your layout, I recall seeing pictures of it before.  Could you tell me the dimensions?

 

 

Thanks,

John.

I agree very nice looking. My biggest problem is where I'm going to put the mono rail without reconfiguring the layout!  Does anyone have a measurement on the base?

Chris, it's a good problem to have though, isn't it.  Besides, don't they say that layouts are never done?

 

 

John.

I had a problem with space for the bases on my layout and also wanted the Monorail to be a little higher. Here is what I did.

I made some Pylons out of wood, tapered one end on the chop saw.  Then I drilled one end to accommodate brass or bronze bushings I got at Lowes. I had to drill out the bushings slightly to accommodate the red posts supplied. Next I pre-drilled the pylons to accommodate long screws to mount them on the layout and finished by painting them with faux stone paint..

You can further adjust the height two ways: first by making the pylons shorter or taller and next by drilling the holes for the bushings deeper. If you drill too deep just drop in a dowel and then insert the supplied post. This helped me keep the Monorail track level because I have a basement layout and the concrete floor slopes

Chris,

 

If you have a suspended ceiling, just get some 2' x 2' 1/2" plywood squares at HD and put them above the ceiling tiles hanging inside the grid. Mount brackets with screws thru the soft ceiling tile and into the plywood.  That should be plenty of holding power.

 

I've hung a few items on our ceiling that way.

 

Ed

Lot's of good idea's guy's keep them coming. I have been bouncing the idea around about a different base. I like your idea to Ed. If I can make the ceiling tile a little stronger that might be the best solution. I found a way to put in the race car set I'll shoe horn the mono rail in somewhere.

 

 

Your right John; Layouts are never done! My wife still doesn't understand that concept. 

John,

 

You are correct, I did post these pictures about a year ago. The size of my standard gauge layout is 12'x8'. The outer track has 072 radius curves and the inner track has the "stock" 042 radius curves.

 

Eric Hofberg

TCA, LCCA

Original Leland Deteorit Monorail installed on the top level layout along with two loops of Voltamp 2" gauge track.

Your video's never get old Jim. That Leland is the real Mc Coy!

Sorry this took so long to post, very busy week. I had to change a few things to make it work. The monorail is at the original height. You can engineer it to work. Don't miss the opportunity to own one. One of my most prized acquisitions.

 

Bob

 

 

Great photo's Bob. Thanks. I'm still waiting to see if MTH is coming out with these in the original colors like the first run?